[cr-india] Re: two roads

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

On Sat, 1 May 2004, Bandana Mukhopadhyay wrote:

> All 'sponsorships' fall under the category of 'advertisement'. UN 
> agencies can be donor groups ( also with specified) restrictions but 
> then we fall under the mercy of foreign donors. How long should we nurse 
> the colonial hangover of foreigners are better that our own  peole?
> 
> Bandana

No where did I suggest that "foreigners are better". It's just that there 
is so little of funding available within India. And much of what is handed 
around is, anyway, foreign sourced -- whether from the World Bank or 
elsewhere!

Anyway, without intending to get caught up in a battle of words, and 
definitions, we need to ensure that the May 5/6 meeting looks at the 
larger issues, rather than gets caught up in nitty gritties.

Perhaps the main message we need to send out to our policy planners -- 
some are on this list -- is that the onus of proving that India is really 
the "world's largest democracy" really rests with them. For too long have 
various arguments been deployed to tie up everyone's hands on this front, 
and then claim that CR isn't working/can't work in India.

If the rest of the world can do it, surely can we!

Just as how we have a fairly free yet largely responsible Press (which can 
be hauled up for their transgressions whenever it happens), the same can 
happen with radio. Checks and balances can be worked out, without needing 
a background in rocket science. Local, rather than centralised, monitoring 
and auditing of content by someone responsible (e.g. universities) might 
solve what seem to be insurmountable problems.

Above all, let's focus on the big picture. FN